A recently-developed slope strengthening method for strengthening an embankment slope to prevent the collapse of the embankment slope due to earthquakes or rainfalls includes the steps of mixing the soil and a solidifying material together for solidification of the soil while driving and advancing a drilling-mixing machine of an earth auger type or the like to excavate the ground, and constructing anchors in the central portion of the solidified soil.
In case of applying such a slope strengthening method to small-scale slope strengthening work for strengthening a gentle slope, materials have been conventionally carried by human power, and drilling and mixing work has been executed by a back-hoe type construction machine placed on a service road. On the other hand, in case of applying the same to relatively large-scale slope strengthening work, a temporary support structure for a construction machine has been constructed, and an earth auger-type construction machine has been placed on the temporary support structure for executing drilling and mixing work.
However, the conventional human-powered work has the following problems.
1 It is difficult for workers to freely move on a slope for carrying work or earthwork, the labor effectiveness of human-powered work is extremely low, and such work is very dangerous.
2 Human-powered work needs a long term of work and increases construction costs.
3 The back hoe-type construction machine is unable to be used when any service road is not available near the slope.
The construction of the temporary support structure has the following problems as well.
1 The construction of the temporary support structure requires an additional term of work and additional costs.
1 Materials for the temporary support structure must be carried by human power when any service road is not available near the slope, which causes problems similar to those attributable to human-powered work.
An alternative slope strengthening method may employ a crawler-mounted construction machine of an earth auger type which travels on a slope for direct slope strengthening work. Although current crawler-mounted construction machines are able to climb up and down slopes, such machines are unable to travel on slopes in horizontal directions (i.e., along contour lines of slopes), since shoe links of current crawler-mounted traveling machines are provided with only grousers (i.e., projections) extending perpendicularly to the advance direction of the shoe links. Further, the above current crawler-mounted traveling machines are unable to remain stable during operation and hence not applicable to such a slope strengthening method.
Usually, construction materials including earth and sand, concrete blocks, pipes and sheet piles or the like have been carried on slopes by the following methods.
(1) Methods employing human power PA1 (2) Methods employing belt conveyors PA1 (3) Methods using temporary haulage roads constructed on slopes PA1 (1) Methods employing human power PA1 (2) Methods employing belt conveyors PA1 (3) Methods using temporary haulage roads constructed on slopes PA1 (1) The slope traveling machine is capable of traveling on a slope in horizontal directions without causing side slipping to attain the improvement in stable traveling in horizontal directions and that in working efficiency. Further, the slope traveling machine is capable of executing construction work with safety without causing side slipping against loads during operation. PA1 (2) Accordingly, human-powered work, which has been conventionally required, is remarkably reduced, and any temporary support structure is not necessary. Thus, a term of work and construction costs are curtailed. PA1 (3) Since the projections are arranged so as to leave a predetermined space between a pair of projections longitudinally adjacent to each other in the traveling direction, there is no possibility that a projecting portion of a slope-protecting concrete frame is caught between the pair of projections and then subjected to shearing breakage. PA1 (1) The slope traveling machine for carrying work is capable of traveling on a slope in horizontal directions without causing the side slipping to attain the improvement in carrying work with safety and that in working efficiency. Further, the slope traveling machine for carrying work is capable of safely executing work without causing side slipping, while the slope traveling machine remains stationary. PA1 (2) Accordingly, on a slope having no service road, human-powered work, which has been conventionally required, is remarkably reduced, any temporary support structure is unnecessary, and a term of work and construction costs are curtailed. PA1 (3) Since the projections are arranged so as to leave a predetermined space between a pair of projections longitudinally adjacent to each other in the traveling direction, there is no possibility that a projection portion of a slope-protecting concrete frame is caught between the pair of projections and then subjected to shearing breakage. PA1 (4) Since human-powered carrying work on a slope is replaced with machine work, the working environment is greatly improved. PA1 (5) Since the upper carrier is tilted by the hydraulic cylinders, it is possible to always maintain the upper carrier in a horizontal position. Further, since the center of gravity of the upper carrier is dislocated toward the upside of the slope, carrying work is more safely and surely accomplished in cooperation with the anti-side slip grousers described above. Furthermore, materials are automatically unloaded from the upper carrier by increasing the tilt of the upper carrier.
However, these construction-material carrying methods have the following problems.
1 Only small and light materials are able to be carried, while large and heavy materials are unable to be carried.
2 It is difficult for workers to freely move on a slope, the labor effectiveness of human-powered carrying work is extremely low, and such carrying work is very dangerous.
3 A long term of work is required, a nd an increase in cost is inevitable due to the extremely-low labor effectiveness.
1 Although earth and sand are able to be conveyed, it is difficult to convey materials other than earth and sand.
2 It is difficult to install belt conveyors on slopes.
1 The labor effectiveness of carrying work is low in case of small and light materials as much as those are able to be carried by human power.
2 The construction of temporary haulage roads having a road tonnage capability sufficient for the traffic of construction vehicles require s the construction of temporary support structures or the like, which causes an increase in term of work and that in cost.
The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above problems, and it is a first object of the present invention to provide a crawler-mounted slope traveling machine which is capable of freely traveling on a slope with safety, of securing stability during operation, of efficiently executing construction work on a slope to reduce human-powered work, which has been conventionally required, to the least possible extent, of making temporary support structures unnecessary and of curtailing a term of work and construction costs.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a crawler-mounted slope traveling machine for carrying work which is capable of freely traveling on a slope with safety to carry construction materials, of reducing human-powered work, which has been conventionally required, to the least possible extent, of making temporary support structures unnecessary, and of curtailing a term of work and construction costs.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a crawler-mounted slope traveling machine which is capable of surely preventing a slope traveling machine from side slipping along the declination of a slope while the slope traveling machine is traveling in horizontal directions perpendicular to the declination of the slope or during work in a stationary, sideways-tilted position on the slope, or of causing no breakage of slope protecting members or the like laid on the slope, after the side slipping of the slope traveling machine has been prevented.